SUPER BOWL XXXIII; Falcons Call Broncos' Blocks Illegal

Defensive end Lester Archambeau of the Atlanta Falcons is usually a calm man. Just a guy from Montville, N.J., who is part of one of the best -- and mostly unheralded -- defensive lines in football. But when Archambeau starts discussing the blocking styles of the Denver offensive linemen, his blood boils.

Archambeau said today that a block that had been banned by the National Football League was consistently used by Broncos linemen, an accusation that Denver players denied. When pass blocking, linemen are forbidden from doing what is commonly called chop blocking. That is, one player blocks a defender high, while another simultaneously blocks below the waist, usually around the knee or upper thigh.

The rule is in place because chop blocking can cause serious, even career-ending, injuries -- especially to the knees. In the last few years, several defensive linemen -- like Minnesota's Jerry Ball, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in 1991, before the block was banned -- have been hurt by these blocks.

While some teams may occasionally try to slip in such blocks -- this is football, after all -- Archambeau said that the Broncos constantly used the illegal technique. He accused some of them of intentionally trying to injure opponents.

''Their tendency is to hold and cut,'' he said of the Broncos' linemen. ''That high-low stuff they do is supposedly illegal, but they get away with it.''

Archambeau said that as a pre-emptive strike, some Falcons players and their defensive line coach, Bill Kollar, plan to speak to game officials sometime Sunday before Super Bowl XXXIII. They want to make sure the officials look for potential chop blocks.

Archambeau said that based on his film study of the Broncos, he believes Denver offensive linemen use chop blocks more than any other team.

''You watch them do it on film and it angers you,'' he said. ''They can flat-out hurt you, and their coach teaches that cheap stuff.''

Alex Gibbs, Denver's offensive line coach, denied that the Broncos used illegal tactics.

''We block hard and we do things within the rules,'' Broncos center Tom Nalen said today. ''Anyone who says otherwise is wrong.''

Archambeau, a Stanford graduate with a degree in industrial engineering, is not the only player who has accused Denver of pushing the envelope when it comes to blocking. After the Giants beat the Broncos this season, several Giants defensive linemen said Denver used chop-blocking techniques in passing situations.

Some of the Giants said they complained about it to game officials but, those players said, no warning was ever given to the Broncos.

The league often protects quarterbacks by fining defensive players who make late or questionable hits on them, Archambeau said, but defensive linemen are given no such protection. He said defensive players were becoming increasingly frustrated with what they felt was a double standard.

''They protect the quarterbacks because who does the MCI commercials, the Pizza Hut commercials?'' he said. ''It's the quarterback club. They protect the quarterbacks more than any other position. They don't care about defensive linemen.''

Yet after complaining about the Broncos' offensive line, most opponents, including Archambeau, quickly add that they are a hard-working, skilled group. Indeed, Denver's line completely outworked Green Bay in last year's Super Bowl. This season, the Broncos' Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns.

But Denver's front has yet to go against a talented group like the Falcons' defensive line, which consists of Archambeau, defensive tackles Shane Dronett and Travis Hall and defensive end Chuck Smith.

''They are the most underrated, unappreciated group in the National Football League,'' said Atlanta's defensive coordinator, Rich Brooks.

Mainly because of the line, Atlanta's run defense was ranked second in the league, allowing only 75 yards a game. The only back to gain at least 100 yards in the past 26 games against the Falcons was the Jets' Curtis Martin. The Falcons also led the league in total takeaways (44) and fumble recoveries (25).

Yet the defensive line is still relatively unknown, except in Atlanta, where it is nicknamed the Bomb Squad. The keys are the bookends, Archambeau and Smith, two smart and talkative players who have had a major impact on their team this year but did not make the Pro Bowl.

This is Smith's seventh season with the Falcons, and one of his best, thanks to eight and a half sacks and 82 tackles. If Archambeau, a ninth-year pro, is the quarterback of the line, Smith is the heart of it. But he is also a thinker. He owns a video library containing some 30 tapes of some of the greatest pass rushers in history, like Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith. Smith also has some tape of his good friend Michael Strahan, the Giants defensive end. He uses the videos to learn new moves or enhance old ones.

''I like hitting people,'' Smith said. ''I like chasing the ball. I like hitting running backs. I like it all.''

Smith has been the biggest crusader this week in trying to get his defensive linemates some respect. When a reporter asked him on Thursday how the Falcons expected to stop Davis when no team this season had been able to do so, Smith got visibly irritated.

''People said we couldn't stop Minnesota and we did,'' he said. ''We can stop Terrell. There is no superhuman back in this league. Any player can be stopped.''